Maglev Wind Turbines 1000x More Efficient Than Normal Windmills

A new wind turbine, the Maglev Wind Turbine may be one of the breakthroughs that was needed to get the world off carbon producing electricity plants!

As the tiltle says, the Maglev Wind Turbines are said to be 1000x more efficient than turbines being used today.

Maglev wind turbines 1000x more efficient than normal windmills

According to developers, the technology is capable of scaling to massive sizes, with a proposed $53M turbine able enough to replace 1000 traditional windmills and power 750 thousand homes. Additional benefits include the ability to generate power with winds as slow as three miles per hour, operational costs some 50 percent cheaper than windmills, and an estimated lifespan of 500 years.

This is pretty remarkable if it is tue, and let's just hope it is.

the real proof will come when these things get put to use, which may happen sooner than you'd think: Development is proceeding rapidly in both the US and China,

What makes this turbine more efficient is that it is that the blades are balanced on magnets so there is NO friction.

THE MAGLEV: The Super-powered Magnetic Wind Turbine

Magnetic levitation is an extremely efficient system for wind energy. Here’s how it works: the vertically oriented blades of the wind turbine are suspended in the air above the base of the machine, replacing the need for ball bearings. The turbine uses “full-permanent” magnets, not electromagnets — therefore, it does not require electricty to run. The full-permanent magnet system employs neodymium (”rare earth”) magnets and there is no energy loss through friction. This also helps reduce maintenance costs and increases the lifespan of the generator.

Hopefully these Maglev Wind Turbines are all they say they are and the countries all over the world start using them once there proven.




[edit on 27/11/07 by Keyhole]

I wish I could give you the way above award still. I am flagging and starring this post.

Great find. I love the information and I will weigh in after I do more reading and research on the technology.

I can't believe more people aren't responding to this, because it is a technology that could free the USA on over 80% of our fossil fuel consumption.

Thanks.

[edit on 28-11-2007 by Realtruth]

Thanks Realtruth,

This technology sounds pretty impressive to me too. Imagine 1 windmill providing enough electricity for 750,000 homes!

Heck, 1 windmill could power the 3 county area around where I live!

Here is an article on a smaller home version Maglev Wind Turbine.

Mag - Wind Vertical Axis Turbine For Your Home

it"solves 11 different problems that previously limited the development of vertical-axis wind turbines for generation of electricity ." The center hub floats on a magnet, and the coils that generate the power are at the outer ring, with magnets at the tips of the blades flying over them at high speed. It is designed for home installation in urban settings; It is only 4 feet high, so neighbours are unlikely to complain about its appearance.

Specifications are impressive:

* Productivity: 1100 kWh/month in a 13 mph average wind
* Name Plate: 5 kW rated output in 28 mph wind at sea level with 80% relative humidity.
* Cut-In Speed: Less than 5 mph.
* Top Speed: Greater than 100 Mph.
* Economics: Fully burdened cost over 10 years is 3.5 cents per kW.
* ROI: If current bill is $300 per month or more, then ROI 3 years or less.
* Maintenance & Operation Costs: Minimal
* Deployment: Rooftop Urban or Rural Setting.
* Total Estimated Production Run 2006: 3,500 Units
* Production Units Ready Spring 2006

Here are some other links to more information:

Mag-Wind MW1100—The Evolution of the wind turbine
Colassal Magnetic Levitation Wind Turbine Proposed
The World's First "Magnetic Levitation" Wind Turbines Unveiled in China
Magnetic levitation promises huge efficiency gains in wind power generation

[edit on 28/11/07 by Keyhole]

If that is really as good as that sounds, then that is one great idea, and I am surprised no one had thought of such an idea before.

Although 1000 times more efficient does sound far too good to be true.

Originally posted by apex
If that is really as good as that sounds, then that is one great idea, and I am surprised no one had thought of such an idea before.

Although 1000 times more efficient does sound far too good to be true.

Apex many have around the world, but have had many flaw designs as well as funding.

Some Wind turbines I have seen are Helix shaped in design, but had many flaws. This one is the real deal, that is why I am very excited about it.

Kudos to the original poster for finding it.

Lets hope this technology goes into full gear. I am just hoping the power companies don't try to stop or takeover this technology.

The reason why these windmills can produce so much electricity is because of the size of these things.

It takes an awful lot of wind pressure to turn the generators that can produce this much electricity. These windmills are HUGE!

Here's a picture of one, note the size of the streetlamps near the windmill.

SOURCE




[edit on 29/2/08 by Keyhole]

Originally posted by Keyhole
The reason why these windmills can produce so much electricity is because of the size of these things.

The reason they can produce so much electricity is mainly because they have far less friction than regular mills.

It takes an awful lot of wind pressure to turn the generators that can produce this much electricity. These windmills are

According to the press on this subject it takes less wind speed to drive these large mills than it does the much smaller one's as was made so very clear in the cited articles. If you are not going to read articles' please do not comment on them.

Here's a picture of one, note the size of the streetlamps near the windmill.

But apparently the Chinese do not see this as a huge problem.

CHANGSHA, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Construction began on the world's largest production base for magnetic levitation (maglev) wind power generators in central China on Monday.

The Guangzhou-based Zhongke Hengyuan Energy Technology Co. Ltd. invested 400 million yuan in building the base for the generators, from which it expects a yearly revenue of 1.6 billion yuan.

The base will produce a series of maglev wind power generators with capacities ranging from 400 to 5,000 watts in the first half of 2008, said a company statement.

news.xinhuanet.com...

peswiki.com...:MagLev_Wind_Power_Generator

So before you throw your hands any higher into the air i propose that you do some reading....

Stellar

I did read the articles!

What I was talking about was the energy needed to turn the generators.

They need these windmills this big to take advantage of the lower wind speeds/pressure over a greater area (the fins) to be able to turn spin the generators that produce the electricity!

These windmills have to be this big to turn the generators, otherwise I'm sure they would have made them smaller!

[edit on 4/3/08 by Keyhole]

Keyhole,

Come-on you of all people. I know how you dig things up no one else can find. I can't believe you didn't go further.

Here is the home version this company makes. I actually met the owner of this company who lives in Ontario, Canada about 6 years ago. He is a brilliant guy.

Article:

www.treehugger.com...

Site:

www.windterra.com...

Originally posted by Keyhole
I did read the articles!

Yes, lol. To my shame i somehow forgot that you actually created this thread and are thus probably interested enough to have read it.

What I was talking about was the energy needed to turn the generators.

It doesn't use any 'energy' and only requires the resulting torque from allowing wind to pass easily on one side but not the other. Much like planes create lift by the shape of the wing these machines, like other windmills, just use persistent wind pressure to start and or keep going.

They need these windmills this big to take advantage of the lower wind speeds/pressure over a greater area (the fins) to be able to turn spin the generators that produce the electricity!

I don't know why you have made that connection and i believe it's just a question of yield; the size in question being the most economical for generating energy for a national grid and or major city. As i understand they will also make one's that are much smaller and have much less capacity.

These windmills have to be this big to turn the generators, otherwise I'm sure they would have made them smaller!

As i said before it's simply a question of economics and what the base requirements are. If you want to power a smallish town somewhere in the desert you will obviously tailor the size to the need as anything more would be wasted in long distance transfer...

Either way thanks for your original posts on this issue.

Stellar